Reception
by The Amazing McCormick
Summary: There was absolute stillness as the six team members stared down at what could only be the seventh member, though the form she took wasn't a recognizable one.


A/N: So!

I was working on the next chapter of "Confinement", when I realized that there was a GIANT plot hole. That must be fixed.

Of course, then I got distracted, and started thinking about the next episode, "Image". I know what the episode's about. I _almost_ watched it already, but it was in Turkish, and I don't speak Turkish. I _did_ get three minutes into the episode, but, by then, I was crying. Poor me.

I don't know how the episode _really_ ends, and, for God's sake, don't tell me. Please. This is just how I imagined it might go.

Spoilers ahead! If you didn't already know.

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><p>Nobody moved.<p>

There was absolute stillness as the six team members stared down at what could only be the seventh member, though the form she took wasn't a recognizable one. Her body was long, white, and twisted into some monstrous shape that seemed to only be the stuff of nightmares.

Miss Martian was a monster. Now, her secret was out.

Nobody could tell exactly how long they stood there, but their trance was broken by the sound of Artemis's bow clattering to the ground, echoing like an explosion in the too silent room. The sound shocked them enough that none of them realized what the archer was doing until she was halfway down the staircase that separated them from their fallen comrade.

As she heard the footsteps getting closer, Miss Martian began to shift into a more humanoid form. It was a much slower transformation than her usual shifts, but she had a hard time gathering her bearings enough to shift normally. She couldn't even bring herself to change her skin or eyes, which remained stark white and blood red. Her usual uniform made its way sluggishly back over her body, and her hair grew back to hang in her face and hide her expression. She remained hunched over on her knees, her now de-clawed fingers digging into the carpet as she tried not to lose it.

Artemis skidded to a halt a few feet away. Impulse had sent her running towards her friend, but now, she was hesitant. She slowly walked the rest of the way, falling to her knees right in front of the White Martian. She gently rested a hand on Miss Martian's shoulder, startling her enough to lift her head. Dark blue irises met red, tear-filled eyes, and for a moment, neither moved. Suddenly, Artemis pulled Miss Martian into a hug. Hesitantly, Miss Martian returned the embrace, and silently cried into the archer's shoulder.

Superboy didn't know when he started walking, but he suddenly found himself going down the staircase as well. He wasn't running like Artemis was, though he also felt compelled to say or do _something_ about this. By the time he got to the two, they had separated from their hug. He also came to his knees beside Miss Martian. She looked at him, tears still streaming down her white cheeks. He slowly reached out and cupped her face in his hand, wiping away the tears. She leaned into his touch, bringing her hand up to touch his own.

Aqualad had followed shortly behind Superboy. He approached Miss Martian on her other side, but didn't kneel like the others had. When she acknowledged him, he held out his hand. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet. She gazed at him, trying to read his face. His expression remained stern, as it usually did during missions, but there was a softness in his eyes, a sort of clemency, or compassion. Artemis and Superboy stood, too.

Atop the staircase, the three remaining team members stood with nearly identical expressions on their faces. All three reflected feelings of antipathy and betrayal. Kid Flash had both hands wrapped around the railing, gripping the cool metal as if it were his only defense. Robin had both hands down at his side, clenched into fists so tightly, he seemed to be shaking. Zatanna had her arms crossed over her chest, and she kept her gaze on the floor.

"So," Robin said in an off-handed manner, which was countered by the strain in his voice, "Who's going to tell the League?"

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><p>AN: Personally, I feel that Robin and KF are going to have the hardest times dealing with Miss Martian's secret. Zatanna's just with them because I don't really like her.

So, do this beautiful person a favor, and go check out this awesome video. Search "Miss Martian Echo", and it should come up. Or, if you want a link, check out my Tumblr. Same username. It's the second post down. WARNING: SPOILERS.

Then again, if you read this story, you shouldn't care about spoilers.


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